Being Alice Black
by rainbow-dirt
Summary: Being Alice Black was hard work... Boys just kept coming at her. But what happens when she begins to fall for her very best friend?
1. Chapter 1

_As soon as Alice Black stepped foot on the train, she was asked to join Harry and his friend. His friend, Ron, had a sister who was also starting Hogwarts that year. They entered the compartment and sat down. _

_"__Ron, Ginny, this is Alice," Harry said. "She's starting Hogwarts this year."_

_Alice noted that Ginny seemed to be incredibly taken with Harry. Her brown eyes were locked on his thin frame, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. _

_It was understandable, Alice thought. Harry was somewhat famous. _

_The story goes that Harry and his parents were being hunted by Lord Voldemort, an incredibly Dark wizard. They placed their trust in their friend Peter, who died protecting them. This act of love broke Voldemort's power, and the wizarding world was free from the war. _

_Alice had been incredibly jealous when Harry had gone to Hogwarts the year before her. All year she had received owls from him about the castle, the lessons, the teachers, his adventures with his friends, Ron and Hermione. She was certain that she knew more about his life at Hogwarts than his parents did. _

_A girl with bushy brown hair joined them in the compartment. Alice took this to be Hermione. _

_"__Hello," the girl smiled. She seemed friendly. "You must be Alice."_

_Ginny seemed more at ease with Hermione there. The three girls began talking as the boys loudly discussed Quidditch._

* * *

Alice mused to herself about the first train journey she had ever taken to Hogwarts. She thought about how nervous she'd been before the sorting, afraid that she wouldn't end up in Gryffindor like both her parents. Thankfully, she had, although she didn't think they would have minded Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw too much.

That journey had been five years ago now. Harry had just sat and passed most of his OWLs, and had been made Quidditch captain. Ron and Hermione had been made prefects the year before, and Hermione was a strong contender for Head Girl for the following year. Two years ago had seen the Triwizard Tournament held at Hogwarts, and Cedric Diggory had earned them a victory. Fleur Delacour, the Beauxbatons contestant, was now going out with Ginny's older brother Bill. Viktor Krum had become attached to Hermione, making Ron extremely jealous, but they were now just friends.

For now, it was just Harry, Alice and Luna Lovegood in the compartment. Ron and Hermione were at the prefects meeting, and Ginny had gone to find her boyfriend Dean Thomas. Luna was recounting her summer holiday to them, and Alice forced herself to return to the present.

"…So you see, we did actually find and prove the existence of Nargles," Luna was saying happily.

"I thought Nargles lived in mistletoe?" Harry asked, thoroughly confused.

"They do!" Luna explained, "But mistletoe grows on trees all around the year."

"Hi Neville!" Alice exclaimed, as none other than Neville Longbottom walked through the door.

"Hi guys," Neville said, sitting down next to Luna. "Where's Ginny?"

"Off snogging Dean somewhere," Alice shrugged.

The door opened again, to admit one disgruntled looked Seamus Finnegan.

"D'you mind if I sit here?" he asked in his Irish lilt. "Only Ginny and Dean are getting a bit tongue happy."

Harry nodded, and Seamus sat beside him, opposite Alice, Luna and Neville.

"I haven't seen the fucker all summer, you think he'd spare a bit of time for his best mate," Seamus grumbled to the train compartment.

"It's disgusting," Alice grinned at him. "Ginny and I were supposed to get our school supplies together in Diagon Alley, then Dean turns up and I ended up shopping on my own because they were busy swapping saliva."

"Oh honestly, Ronald," Hermione's voice carried to them from outside the door. "They're just kissing!"

"It's my sister!" Ron raged as the pair of them returned from the prefect meeting, making the compartment uncomfortably full.

"You can't give them detention just for kissing," Hermione told him. "During school hours or lessons, yes, but not here and now."

Alice, closest to the window, flung it open and lit a cigarette.

Hermione turned to her, her best Mrs Weasley expression on her face. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all," Alice replied, blowing smoke into the room and grinning cheekily.

"You sound like my mum when Sirius and Marlene start smoking," Harry told her.

Hermione's brown eyes glared at him. "She's practically your sister, Harry, aren't you going to make her stop?"

Harry shrugged. "I couldn't stop her even if I wanted to."

"Oh look, it's the blood traitors and the mudblood," a sneering voice sounded, and the entire compartment turned to stare at Draco Malfoy, who was stood at the door flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.

"Piss off, Malfoy," Alice said, flicking her finished cigarette out the window.

"Why so touchy, Black? Is it because Weasel and Potty have their eyes on other girls instead of you?"

Alice's grey eyes met his, an almost identical Black family trait, except his were amused and hers were brewing a storm.

"I _said_," Alice stood up and squared up to him. "_Piss off_."

"I wouldn't talk to a prefect like that if I were you, Black," Malfoy smirked.

"What are you going to do, put me in detention?" Alice raised an eyebrow. "I'd like to see you try."

"Is that a challenge, Black?"

"Go away, Malfoy," Hermione snapped testily. "You can't put her in detention, because we'll just tell Professor McGonagall that you provoked her."

Malfoy seemed to realise that this fight was lost, and retreated.

"Wanker," Alice muttered, lighting another cigarette.

"Really? Chain smoking, Alice?" Hermione told her off yet again.

"Hi guys!" Ginny exclaimed as she entered, hand in hand with Dean. "Wow, it's crowded in here, isn't it?"

"No, it's really comfortable," Ron replied sarcastically.

"Boys out!" Hermione shrieked. "Yes Ronald, that does mean you. Out!"

The five sixth year boys sloped out of the compartment. Ron was glaring at the back of Dean's head as he kissed Ginny goodbye.

"Much better," Hermione sighed, taking Alice's cigarette and throwing it out the window. Alice simply rolled her eyes in response, used to Hermione.

"Anything interesting happening this year?" Ginny asked Hermione.

"Not really," Hermione replied. "Professor Dumbledore's trying to promote house unity within Hogwarts but I'm not sure it'll work."

"Of course it will," Alice said. "Just kick all the Slytherins out."

"Besides, we already have friends in other houses," Ginny added.

The afternoon sped by, and at Hermione's insistence, Alice stepped outside for her next cigarette. She leaned out of the window of the door and was soon joined by Harry.

"Hermione said you'd be here," he explained, not that he needed to. "I had to leave too. Ron punched Dean in the face because he wouldn't shut up about Ginny. Seamus won ten galleons off Neville for it."

"And I thought this year would be boring without Fred and George," Alice grinned.

"What, with Malfoy as Slytherin Quidditch captain and prefect? No chance."

"Oh yeah, and our inter house unity project that Hermione keeps banging on about."

The two of them bantered for a while about things. Neither of them really had many friends outside their circle, and while Ron was Harry's best friend, Alice had known him the longest.

"D'you ever think we're boring compared to the Marauders?" Alice asked suddenly, thinking about their parents and Remus.

"God yes," Harry grinned. "I think Mum's relieved we're so normal, to be honest. She loves Hermione."

The whistle blew, announcing that the train would shortly be arriving at Hogsmeade station. They bade each other farewell, returning to their separate compartments to change.

* * *

"Welcome to Hogwarts!" The elderly bearded headmaster beamed at the Great Hall. "And to our older students, welcome back! This year the school will be promoting house unity, and so with the addition of your usual classes, one hour a week will be dedicated to getting to know your fellow classmates. Now, for the feast!"

There was the usual gasp from the first years as the food just appeared in front of them, and the entire school tucked in.

"Thank God! I'm starving!" Ron dived straight into everything he could reach.

Harry shook his head at his best mate and piled food onto his plate like a normal person.

"You're not on one of those stupid diets again, are you?" Ginny asked, eyeing Alice's mostly empty plate.

"No," she replied. "I'm just not very hungry."

"That's because you've chain smoked all day," Hermione said briskly. "Eat some pasta. Fifth, sixth and seventh years have all been put together for the house unity thing and it's first thing tomorrow morning."

"Merlin, a whole hour of Malfoy being obnoxious," Ginny pulled a face. "I don't know how we'll cope."

"Easy," Alice said, doing as Hermione had instructed and eating some pasta. "We'll hex him."

"That's stooping to his level," Hermione scolded them.

Further down the table, the sixth year boys were arguing about the Quidditch tryouts.

"You want to hold them on a Saturday," Dean was saying. "That way everyone trying out is playing to the best of their ability."

"No, you want to hold them on a school night," Ron argued back. "That way, you won't get stupid first years trying out because they'll be too knackered to find their way to the pitch!"

"Actually, I agree with Dean," Ginny chipped in. "Besides, _you _wouldn't get on the team if you were playing when you were tired."

Ron's mouth opened and closed, resembling a goldfish.

"What are you talking about?" Someone else had joined the conversation, Lavender Brown. "Ron's an excellent keeper."

"Yeah, when he's not tired or cranky!" Ginny retorted. "He'd be both after a full day of lessons!"

Ron turned his gaze to Harry, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Well?"

"She has a point," Harry admitted. "You play at your best with a clear head."

Dinner ended eventfully. Ron stormed off in a huff, leaving Hermione on her own to deal with the first years. Ginny wandered off with Dean for a walk before curfew, and Harry, Neville and Seamus had decided to head up to bed, leaving Alice to amble along at her own pace.

When she'd finally entered the dormitory fifteen minutes later, Charlotte and Evie, the other two girls she and Ginny shared a dorm with, were in the middle of their unpacking. They were both muggle born girls, and had immediately bonded upon their Sorting in first year. Charlotte was the fifth year Gryffindor prefect, tall and glamorous, with long dark hair and piercing blue eyes, and Evie was short and curvy, with a huge smile, blonde hair in ringlets and pale green eyes. Ginny and Evie were around the same height, whereas Alice was a couple of inches taller than them both. Predictably, Ginny still wasn't back from her romantic walk with Dean, and Charlotte and Evie were gossiping.

Alice plopped down onto her bed and unpacked with a simple wave of her wand. This hadn't occurred to the other girls after a summer of living as muggles, and they imitated her.

"So, what's going on then?" Alice asked them, pulling off her tie.

"Well we just spotted Ron Weasley and Lavender Brown in sixth year getting a bit cozy in the common room," Evie jumped in before Charlotte could. "Char heard Lavender tell Parvati Patil that she fancies him, but I can't see the appeal."

Alice shrugged. "I know him too well to find him attractive to be honest."

"Cedric Diggory proposed to Cho Chang this morning on the platform," Charlotte moved the topic swiftly on. "Does Harry still fancy her or has that ship sailed?"

"I think he gave up on her once he realised they weren't going to split up."

"That's a shame, I think they'd go quite well together," Evie mused. "They're both seekers, they both have dark hair…"

"She's really popular and he's kind of quiet," Charlotte grinned.

"He's quite good looking, don't you think?"

"He's practically my brother!" Alice moaned, covering her ears with her hands. "Please don't say that again."

Evie grinned. "Sorry babe. Besides, I think he's reserved for Hermione Granger."

"What? No way," Alice shook her head. "If Harry fancied Hermione, I think I'd know, and Ron would go mental about that."

"Ron fancies Hermione?" Charlotte's blue eyes widened.

"Of course he does!" Alice said impatiently. "Even if he doesn't realise it yet."

"Hi!" Ginny breezed in, back from her date with Dean.

"Ginny!" Evie jumped on her, hugging her tightly and then releasing her. "Does Ron fancy Hermione?"

"He has done for years, he just doesn't know it," Ginny rolled her brown eyes.

"Told you!" Alice grinned triumphantly.

"Lights out!" Hermione, ever the stickler for rules, called down the stairs. The four girls groaned, got changed and climbed into bed.

* * *

In the morning, Alice was the last up as usual. Ginny always liked to get up at around 6, and begin her morning with yoga. Evie joined her, and Charlotte took the first shower. Alice left it as long as humanly possible before she dragged herself out of bed. As usual, she was the last in the shower and rushed down to breakfast, grabbing a slice of toast from under Ron's nose.

"Hey! I was going to eat that!"

"You eat plenty," she told him as Charlotte passed over her timetable. "Oh God, we've got that house unity thing in ten minutes."

"Yeah, have some coffee or you won't be alive," Charlotte dumped the jug of coffee and milk in front of her and Evie, who was frantically applying make up.

"I really hope I'm put in a group with Draco Malfoy," she said dreamily, brushing shadow over her eyes.

"Why?" Alice wrinkled her nose. "He's a wanker."

"He's gorgeous…"

Ron choked over his breakfast and Harry thumped him on the back.

After breakfast, the fifth, sixth and seventh years remained in the Great Hall for the House Unity project. Each of the heads of house divided them into pairs, one boy and one girl from each year from each house would go into each group. Alice groaned internally when McGonagall paired her with Colin Creevey. He was a nice guy, just incredibly annoying.

"Hi Alice!" he announced, bright and chirpy. "McGonagall says we have to go with Neville and Parvati and Katie and Cormac."

"Oh _God_, I hate McClaggen," Alice groaned out loud this time. "Shoot me now."

They crossed the room to the others, McClaggen shaking hands with Neville and winking at Parvati.

"Black," he greeted her when she joined them, completely disregarding Colin.

Alice gazed around the room. Harry had been paired with a girl from Hermione's dormitory, Fay. Ron had been paired with Lavender, and Hermione with Seamus. Harry was standing in uncomfortable silence around Fay, Hermione was talking to Seamus and Lavender was giggling at something Ron had said.

"Attention everybody!" McGonagall called, and silence fell upon the Great Hall. "You will spend the next fifteen minutes getting to know everybody in your group, and then we will combine houses."

McClaggen spent ten of those fifteen minutes talking about himself, before Alice silently sent a jinx his way to glue his tongue to his mouth. He sat there, red faced and fuming, while everyone else introduced themselves quickly.

After the twenty minutes were up, the groups were combined so that there were at least six people from each house. Luna drifted over to sit by Alice, while McClaggen forced his way onto her other side, Michael Corner and Cho Chang following her, among others that Alice didn't know. A very short and skinny Slytherin sixth year joined them too, the others following him, looking as though they didn't want to be there.

Evie seemed to have gotten her dearest wish, as she was paying rapt attention to whatever Draco Malfoy was saying, and getting jealous looks from Pansy Parkinson across the room. McGonagall instructed each person to introduce themselves, and then say a fact about the person before them.

Alice gave a wicked grin before it was her turn. She knew exactly what she was going to say.

McClaggen finished speaking and then turned expectantly to her.

"I'm Alice Black, I have no idea what I want to do with my life. This is Cormac McClaggen and he's an arse licker and a wanker."

"Black! Ten points from Gryffindor!" McGonagall screeched across the room.

Alice smirked. Those ten points had been worth it. Even the Slytherins nodded approvingly.

After an hour, everyone was dismissed.

"Black, a word," McGonagall called to Alice before she could leave. She sighed. She was going to pay for that comment about McClaggen.

"Unpleasant as McClaggen may be, one cannot simply insult someone for no reason."

"But he _is _a wanker, Professor. He hits on every girl he sees. It's quite disgusting how he views women," Alice said earnestly. "I was only telling the truth."

The corner of McGonagall's mouth twitched. "Very well. I shall try to avoid putting you in a group with him in future."


	2. Chapter 2

The weekend brought the Quidditch tryouts, and Harry was looking for a completely fresh team. Alice sat with Hermione in the stands, not particularly bothered about trying out.

"Good luck, Ron," Hermione gave him a swift kiss on the cheek before leaving the pitch.

"What was that?" Alice raised an eyebrow.

"What was what?" Hermione replied nonchalantly, and Alice knew she wouldn't get anything else out of her.

An hour passed in amicable silence. Hermione scribbled furiously on the parchment in front of her, and from looking over her shoulder, Alice could tell that it was Transfiguration homework.

It was time for the keepers to try out. Ron went a delicate shade of green as he mounted his broom.

"Good luck Ron!" Lavender Brown called from a few rows behind, and Alice noticed that Hermione looked intensely cross.

"Hermione, if you fancy Ron, why don't you do something about it?" she asked.

"I do _not _fancy Ron!" Hermione insisted.

"Keep telling yourself that, I'm sure it'll work out well."

Ron managed to save all his goals, and Harry clapped him on the back and gave him a wide grin.

"Oh no," Alice muttered. "McClaggen's next. He _can't_ be keeper."

Hermione's eyes narrowed, and she slipped her wand out of her pocket, muttered something under her breath and went back to her homework.

Alice smirked. "I never thought I'd see the day when you break a school rule."

"I've broken plenty of school rules," Hermione countered.

"Such as? And the twelve inch rule doesn't count, everyone breaks that."

"I've been out in the corridors at night."

"Hermione, you're usually out in the corridors to tell Harry to stop being such a twat and get back to bed, and the Fat Lady buggers off somewhere. And that hasn't happened since _first year_."

"I'm a prefect now, I have to set an example for the younger students," Hermione's tone had a note of finality to it, and Alice dropped the issue and moved on to the previous one.

"Tell him," she insisted.

"I'm sorry?"

"Tell Ron you like him. He likes you too."

"No he doesn't," Hermione rolled her eyes. "It took him four years to notice that I'm a girl."

"Alright, well he might not know he does yet, but he does, trust me," Alice insisted. "Even Ginny said so last night."

"Speaking of Ginny…" Hermione cast a furtive glance around her before leaning towards Alice. "I know we both encouraged her to move on from Harry, but what if it was a mistake?"

"A mistake?" Alice frowned, a small crease appearing between her golden eyebrows.

"Have you seen the way he looks at her?"

Alice looked over to where Ginny was in the air, tossing the quaffle to the new chasers, Katie Bell and Demelza Robbins. Harry was watching her, a look of subtle admiration on his face.

She turned back to Hermione and shrugged. "I don't know if he'd ever do anything about it. He values his relationship with Ron too much. And besides, she's going out with Dean."

"You don't think she'd dump him if Harry made a move?" Hermione asked, her eyes alight with a strange gleam.

Alice thought about it for a while. They were already friends. They had lots in common. Together, they looked a lot like James and Lily, and they were perfect for each other. Yet somehow, she didn't like the idea of it. She couldn't quite put her finger on why, though.

"Tryouts are over," Hermione announced a little while later, once Harry had addressed the new team and arranged their first practice. Dean had waited with them for Ginny, and Alice pushed Hermione towards Ron. She stumbled into him, and he caught her by the arm.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, and she nodded, blushing, as he helped her stand on her feet again.

Harry let his team leave and caught up with Alice himself as she was strolling back to the castle. His voice was hoarse from screaming at the various players, his hair messier than usual from running his hands through it in frustration, and his glasses kept sliding down his nose from the amount of sweat on his face.

"You stink. Get in the shower," Alice wrinkled her nose, and Harry shoved his shoulder into hers. She used to be able to hold her own against him, but over the summer he'd grown about a foot, and she tumbled gracelessly into the grass.

"I hate you," she grumbled, getting to her feet, while Harry laughed at her.

"No you don't," he replied, still chuckling.

* * *

_"Last one in the sea's a rotten Flobberworm!" James had yelled when they'd taken their families on holiday to that cottage the Potters had always owned in Cornwall. Harry had just turned nine, and Alice was eight. Sirius raced James eagerly towards the waves, Harry tugging Alice along with him, all of them shrieking with laughter. _

_"They're mad," Marley said flatly, holding hands with her three year old. "It's freezing in there!"_

_Lily paused, in the middle of capturing the moment with her camera. "Well, yes, but would you have it any other way?"_

_Marley laughed, a laugh that Sirius loved, where she threw her head back and smiled so wide it threatened to split her face into two halves. That laugh meant that she was truly happy. "No, I suppose not."_

_Sirius had sprinted back, picked up his wife, leaving his youngest daughter with her godmother. Ignoring Marley's shrieks to put her down, he ran with her towards the sea. James and Lily laughed at them both; Marley was attempting to kick Sirius while he ignored her fruitless attempts and dumped her in the water. The next moment she'd tripped him up and he'd fallen under with her, and they both emerged, shivering and laughing, a picture of happiness. _

Harry had the very picture of that memory in his wallet. It was one of his favourite memories, and he pulled it out, smiling, to show Remus. They were sat in Remus' office, a pot of tea between them, and Harry had been telling him of the morning's Quidditch tryouts. James, Sirius, Lily and Marlene waved up at Remus from the photograph. It had fluttered out of Harry's bag as he'd sat down and Remus, being Remus, had been curious and asked.

"So, Harry," Remus said, attempting his stern teacher face and failing. "Any girls on the horizon? What about Alice?"

"Did my parents put you up to this?" Harry asked him suspiciously, his green eyes narrowing.

Remus choked on his tea. "You're more perceptive than they give you credit for."

Harry shrugged. "She's practically my sister. We are actually related, anyway."

Remus nodded. "What about Hermione?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Remus. You know how she and Ron are. I'm almost sick of waiting for the day where something happens and I might just knock their heads together, if I'm honest."

Remus chuckled, his amber eyes showing his affection for his favourite mini Marauder. Harry continued keeping his father's best friend updated on their lives, mainly Ron wanting to murder Dean over Ginny.

"How's Tonks?" Harry asked suddenly, and then it was Remus' turn to talk. A smile threatened to tug at his lips every time she was mentioned, Harry noticed. It was nice to see Remus happy for a change, and who was better for him than Tonks?

After he'd finished his tea with Remus, Harry ambled back to the common room, thinking of getting started on some of his homework. He took one of the trusted shortcuts that he learned from the Marauder's Map, and walked headlong into Ginny, who was emerging from an empty classroom.

"Oof!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Sorry, Ginny," Harry grinned, embarrassed. "I wasn't looking where I was going. What were you doing in there?"

"Oh, um, nothing…" her voice trailed off, turning pink.

The door to the classroom opened, and Dean appeared.

"Oh," Harry said. "Right. Sorry, did I interrupt?" He felt ill all of a sudden; shaky, sweaty, and like the bottom of his stomach had dropped out.

"No," Ginny mumbled, refusing to look at him.

"Ok," Harry said slowly. "Well I'm off to the common room, I'll see you later." And with that, he hurried off. He took one of the secret passageways and stayed in there until he was sure they'd passed.

* * *

"Harry caught you and Dean after you'd been in an empty classroom talking?" Alice asked sarcastically. "Ginevra Weasley, you _slut_."

"He looked so weird!" Ginny said, sitting on Alice's bed. "Literally all we were doing was talking, because it was so noisy in the common room, and then Harry looked all awkward at the two of us and ran off!"

"Well you didn't _do _anything wrong," Hermione added, trying to be helpful. "Dean's your boyfriend, not Harry, and you weren't even doing anything with him anyway!"

"Yes but I still _like _Harry and I want him to think good things about me, not that I'm some slag who shags boys in empty classrooms," Ginny gave Alice a very pointed look.

"I have never… well alright, maybe once, but we weren't caught," Alice said, annoyed. "And _that was a secret!_" She hit Ginny with her pillow.

"Who was it?" Hermione asked, looking like she'd prefer not to know.

"I'm not telling you," Alice replied, just as Ginny said "Blaise Zabini."

"Alice!" Hermione was horrified. "He's awful!"

"He's fit," Alice shrugged.

An owl fluttered through the window, dropping three letters onto Hermione's lap. He was a handsome owl, and he took off again as soon as his messages were delivered.

"There's one for each of us," Hermione said, passing them around. Alice ripped hers open.

_Dear Miss Black,_

_This year Professor Dumbledore, an old friend of mine, has invited me back to Hogwarts to gather a group of students of whom I think I may be able to help into their chosen careers. The teachers have very kindly given me a list of the brightest students from fifth year and above for me to meet. If you are successful, I will formally invite you to join what many of my old students affectionately call the 'Slug Club', where you will be able to meet old acquaintances and colleagues of mine, thus building social networks for you to take advantage of later on in life. _

_Please join me in classroom 607 next Saturday evening for a small get together with other talented students._

_Yours most sincerely,_

_Professor H Slughorn._

"Who's Professor Slughorn?" Hermione wondered aloud.

Alice snorted. "Who cares? He sounds like a prick."

A loud wailing sound came from outside the dormitory, followed by a thud and a "bloody hell!" The three girls poked their heads around the door to find Ron, rubbing his behind at the bottom of the stairs, which had formed a slide.

"Oh Ronald, you weren't trying to get in, were you?" Hermione asked, half disapprovingly and half amused.

"Harry and I only wanted to see if you got one of these," he waved a letter around that looked like the ones that they'd been delivered.

Hermione led the way, sliding down the chute first. "Yes, we've got one each."

"He sounds like a right -"

"Ronald!" Hermione cut him off before he could swear in front of the first years that had gathered round.


	3. Chapter 3

The following weekend had several Gryffindors finding their way to classroom 607. Hermione led the group, Harry and Ron just behind her, Ginny talking to Neville and Alice and Charlotte bringing up the rear.

"I'm not sure why he wants to see me," Charlotte said to Alice, who simply shrugged.

"Apparently he taught my mum and dad, I owled them and they confirmed my theory that he is, in fact, a wanker."

Charlotte snorted.

"Besides," Alice carried on. "You're a prefect, of course he wants to see you. They don't just make anybody a prefect."

They arrived at the classroom and sat down. Padma Patil informed them that he was seeing them all one by one, and that Ernie Macmillan, the sixth year Hufflepuff prefect was currently on the other side of the curtain that had been erected. It was sound proofed, and nobody could hear a thing.

"Oh look, Potty and the Weasel," a voice drawled, and before anybody could react, Ginny had drawn her wand and cast a Bat Bogey Hex on him.

"My my!" a voice exclaimed jovially, and a very large, balding man that Alice took to be Professor Slughorn appeared with Ernie Macmillan. "What's your name?"

"Ginny Weasley, sir," Ginny looked appropriately abashed for someone who'd been caught jinxing another student, although Alice knew that she didn't really regret it at all.

"Well Miss Weasley, I think I had better see you next!"

Hermione performed the counter curse as Ginny disappeared behind the curtain. "What did he ask you?" she addressed Ernie.

"A bit about my family, he taught my parents, and then about my ambitions and such," Ernie looked smug. "I think I'm going to be invited to join the Slug Club, he seemed fairly impressed, especially when I told him about my strict study schedule."

Ron was looking more horrified by the moment. Alice's opinion of this stranger sunk lower by the second, even if he had seemed impressed by Ginny's hex.

Malfoy, his face now clear of bogeys, took the vacant seat next to Alice.

"Why are you sitting there?" she demanded rather rudely.

"Well there's two seats left, and given your history with Blaise, I didn't think you'd want to sit next to him," Malfoy smirked.

"Zabini?" Harry asked, horrified. "You had a thing with Zabini?"

"You _prick_," Alice muttered.

"Why yes, Potty, it was in fact Zabini that your little girlfriend shagged last year," Malfoy said slyly. "Didn't she tell you?"

"She's not my girlfriend," Harry said irritably. "I was just surprised that she'd sink that low… although I should be grateful that it wasn't _you_."

"I'm sitting right here!" Alice said loudly, but Harry ignored her. "And at least Zabini's attractive, even if he is a wanker."

"So glad to know you think so highly of me, Black," the dark haired Slytherin in question had entered the room, and Alice flushed, half angrily, half out of shame.

"Ugh!" Alice put her head on the desk with a dull thud. "Kill me now!"

"Now now, Miss Black, there's no need for drama," Slughorn had returned. "You next."

Alice rolled her eyes and followed him behind the curtain, where there was a squishy armchair that he had evidently just vacated, and an ordinary wooden chair for her to sit on.

"Now Miss Black, do you know who I am?"

"Yeah, I asked my parents."

"Good!" Slughorn seemed delighted. "Research! Now, Miss Black, what are your ambitions for the future?"

Alice simply shrugged, never breaking eye contact.

Slughorn leaned forwards. "Did you know that I can hear everything on the other side of that curtain?"

Alice stared at him. "So?"

"So I can tell you now that I won't be letting Draco Malfoy into the Slug Club."

"Good, he's a wanker."

Slughorn chortled. "You're so like your mother, you know. She was very blunt when she was at school."

"I know. I also know that you never had her or my dad in your Slug Club, because they refused to come," Alice folded her arms and leaned back in her chair. "What's in it for me?"

"I see," Slughorn looked at her shrewdly. "You're the person that knows everything about everyone."

"No, I just know how to read people, I'm not an idiot."

Slughorn, still chuckling, escorted her from her seat.

"Well?" Hermione demanded as soon as she'd reappeared and he'd taken the next person.

"I think he liked me," Alice wrinkled her nose. "God knows _why, _I was nothing but rude to him."

Alice left the room as quickly as possible, before Malfoy could kick off again. She knew she could outwit him if she had to, but she just couldn't be bothered to put up with him. She was about halfway down the corridor when Harry caught her up.

"You shagged Zabini?" his emerald eyes blazed with anger.

"It was _one _time," Alice whined. "I was drunk and it seemed like a good decision at the time."

"Seriously Alice, he's a Slytherin!"

"I know," she said, but he cut her off.

"He's friends with _Malfoy_. Have you forgotten what a dick Malfoy is?"

"I _know_," Alice said through gritted teeth, but he talked over her again.

"I mean come on, Blaise Zabini? You can do better Alice, you know you can."

"Yeah?" Alice began to lose her temper. "Suggest someone better who actually wants to _be _with me."

Harry was stunned into silence.

"Exactly. Now when you've come up with someone, I'll just be shagging random people to get my kicks," she snapped, and stormed off.

* * *

So Alice and Harry had fallen out. It wasn't the first time, and Harry knew it wouldn't be the last, but he couldn't help but feel like he'd crossed some sort of line.

"What's the matter?" Ginny asked, as she came out of classroom 607 with Ron.

"I pissed Alice off," Harry sighed.

"Well, it's not hard," Ron grinned. "Cheer up mate. Whatever you did, she'll forgive you."

"I don't know," Harry said. "She was madder than I've ever seen her."

"What did you do?" Ginny sighed. She knew Alice had a short temper, but there were certain things that made her spark even quicker.

"I told her that she could do better than Zabini, and then she asked me to suggest someone who actually wants a relationship with her."

"And?" Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"She put me on the spot! I couldn't think of anyone!" Harry said heatedly.

"And that's why she's pissed off!" Ginny told him. "No one ever wants anything more from her than just a quick shag, and I think she's getting sick of it."

"Go and talk to her mate," Ron advised. "Before she does something bloody crackers."

"No, let her cool off for a bit," Ginny contradicted him. "Give her about an hour, she'll have a few cigarettes and then she'll feel better and come back to the common room. Talk to her then. Avoid the Astronomy tower unless you want hexing."

* * *

Draco listened intently at the door. So Potty had pissed Black off, had he? Black was feeling lonely, was she? An idea began to form in his head.

He waited until their footsteps had faded, and then made his way to the Astronomy tower.

"Black," he greeted her.

"Piss off Malfoy," she replied, although there was no real heat in her voice. She was sat leaning against the door, looking towards the battalions. The sky was a clear blue with a few wisps of cloud drifting across it.

"Now now Black, there's no need to be rude."

"What do you want?" she asked curtly, throwing her finished cigarette over the parapets.

"You're pure-blood, I'm pure-blood," Draco began.

"So?"

"Isn't it obvious where I'm going?" Draco raised a pale eyebrow.

"Maybe I'm just playing dumb because I'm a fucking idiot," Alice replied moodily, glaring at the sky as if it had offended her.

"Potty pissed you off, and I know _why _he pissed you off," Draco cut to the chase. "You hate that everyone only wants one thing from you. You give it to them anyway, but you always want more."

Alice laughed. "That's not even close to correct, Malfoy."

"Well it's that or you like Potty, and I know you have better taste than that."

Grey eyes met grey. "What are you saying, Malfoy?"

"I want to date someone attractive, and of course she has to be pure-blood. You're the only attractive pure-blood in the school, Black. You need to either piss Potty off back or stop being lonely, and I don't much care which."

"That's the worst idea in the world," Alice told him.

"Yeah? I don't hear you saying no."

"I didn't think you were that stupid," she retorted, fire flashing in her eyes.

"Keep my proposal in mind," Draco said coolly, backing off as she stood.

"Why the hell should I? Why on earth would I want to be your girlfriend? We hate each other."

"There's a fine line between love and hate," Draco smirked.

"No there isn't."

"Fine. Maybe I just want a shag, but you want more, and I'd give that to you… until you get bored of me, and I know you well enough to know that you get bored easily."

"It'd be fake."

"Maybe, but it'd piss Potty off and that's what you want, isn't it?"

Alice couldn't argue with him there. Draco knew he had her and he smirked. He leaned down.

His lips had barely grazed hers before she pushed him off. "What are you doing?"

"Well if we're going to have sex Black, we need to kiss first. I don't know how you do things but I need to be in the mood first."

"Who says I want to kiss you?"

"You've been thinking about it ever since I put the idea in your head." He didn't hesitate this time, and kissed her forcefully on the lips.

It took her a few seconds to respond, but she did, and Draco had to admire her courage. She hated him, and here she was, kissing him because he kissed her first. His hands began holding her waist, but as her tongue gently pushed its way into his mouth, he pushed her against the wall, responding enthusiastically.

A loud bang told them that the door had been shoved open. Distracted, they both looked towards the source of the noise.

Harry stood in the doorway, looking winded and breathing heavily. He had the Marauders Map in one hand, his wand in the other.

"Get away from her," he spat, his emerald green eyes burning with rage.

Draco simply smirked, let her go and strode off.

_Mission accomplished, _he thought to himself.

* * *

"Are you joking?" Harry bellowed. "Draco sodding Malfoy? Are you _joking?_"

"He kissed me first!" Alice protested.

"Well it really looked like you were trying to push him away," Harry retorted.

"For your information, he actually asked me out," she snapped back.

Harry burst out laughing. A scowl clouded Alice's face as he did.

"Please tell me what's so funny about someone actually wanting to be with me," she said quietly, dangerously.

Harry had the sense to stop laughing immediately. "It's not that. He's Malfoy. He hates you. He hates all of us."

"Well he doesn't hate me."

"No, because he wants a shag," Harry hit the nail on the head, and he knew he had, because Alice's eyes narrowed. "He thinks you're easy. You're better than this, you know you are."

"Am I?" Suddenly tears had sprung to her eyes. "Am I really? Charlotte's the prefect, Evie's popular, Ginny's the pretty one and what does that make me? The tag along? No one ever wants to get to know me! The only reason Ron and Hermione talk to me is because of _you_, and the only reason you talk to me is because of our parents!"

She sunk to the floor, shaking with sobs, her face in her knees.

"That's not true," Harry told her, sitting beside her. "We're friends because we're friends. We would've been friends anyway, because of Ron and Ginny." He patted her awkwardly on the back. "Are you going to look at me?"

"No, my face is all red and puffy," she muttered, but it sounded like her crying had stopped. She sniffed and wiped her eyes.

Harry grabbed her chin and tilted her head up, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Perfect."

Alice couldn't help but give a small giggle. His eyes lingered on her face, there was something in them that she couldn't read.

He still had his hand under her chin. "Are you going to let go of my face?" she asked.

He quickly withdrew his hand. "Oh yeah, sorry."

* * *

When Harry and Alice arrived back in the common room, they found an empty sofa, sat down and began to do their homework, Alice a Defence Against the Dark Arts essay, and Harry a Transfiguration quiz.

"What's the wand movement for a shield charm?" Alice asked after ten minutes of running her hands through her hair in frustration.

Harry pulled out his wand and demonstrated it. "Practice it before you write about it," he advised her.

Alice frowned, pulling out her own wand.

"No, you're doing it wrong," Harry told her, gripping her wrist and directing it properly. "_Pro - te - go. _A movement for each syllable."

He let go of her wrist, and her skin tingled where his fingers had been. This was unfamiliar to Alice. She looked up from her wand to him, startled when she saw his green eyes staring back at her.

"Try it yourself," he insisted, oblivious to anything that had just passed between them.

She had barely moved her wand when he grabbed her wrist to show her again.

* * *

Ginny was just coming down from the dormitory, having taken advantage of the empty room to take a shower. Her hair was dripping wet, but she didn't really mind. She'd braided it back out of the way. She made her way towards the blonde and dark heads that thankfully looked like they'd made up, but stopped about five feet away. One of Harry's arms was draped casually around the back of Alice's cushion, and his right hand was firmly gripping her wrist as he demonstrated a spell.

"Right ok, I think I've got it," she said, and he let go.

"Took you long enough," he smirked when she'd finally performed the charm successfully.

"Oh shut up," she playfully punched him in the chest, grinning.

A dull ache seemed to settle on Ginny's body. She knew she had no right to feel that way. Harry wasn't hers, he never had been. She was perfectly happy with Dean. Harry didn't even know how she felt about him. But Alice did know, and she felt as though Alice had betrayed her, even though they weren't behaving any differently than usual.

"Are you alright?" Hermione's voice came from behind her, softly.

"Yes," Ginny lied. "I'm fine."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for the crappy reviews. Man up and post it under your username. I would like to extend an actual and sincere thank you to JadedLights07, who has actually been helpful and constructive in her reviews. If you would like to post hate, man up and do it properly. **


	4. Chapter 4

The following Monday's breakfast meant that some of the students received unusual letters.

"Oh God," Alice sighed, immediately tossing the letter aside.

"What?" Ron demanded, trying to snatch Hermione's letter.

"_You are cordially invited to supper with…_" Ginny began reading aloud. "Oh, it's tomorrow night, we've got Quidditch practice."

"I'm not bloody going anyway," Alice said firmly.

"I can't go on my own!" Hermione said, scandalised.

"Tough shit," Alice responded, turning back to her breakfast.

"Language, Alice!" Hermione scolded her. "I could have you in detention for that!"

"I don't care, Hermione."

A distraction arrived in the form of Malfoy and his entourage. "Potty. Weasel. Mudblood. Black."

"What did you call her?" Ron snarled.

"You heard me Weasel. Have you thought any more about my proposition, Black?"

Alice could feel Harry's glare, even though it wasn't directed at her.

"No," she responded coolly.

"No you haven't thought about it, or is that your answer?"

"Both."

"You frigid little -"

There was a loud bang. Harry was stood glaring over Malfoy, his wand out.

"Want to finish that sentence?" he hissed at Malfoy, who was cowering on the floor.

"Potter!" Professor McGonagall barked as she hurried down the Gryffindor table. "Detention!"

"Please Professor, he was provoked," Hermione said.

"That as it may be, Miss Granger, Mr Potter should still have some self control. Tomorrow evening, Potter."

"But Professor!" Harry gasped. "It's our first Quidditch practice!"

McGonagall gave him a look that was a cross between pity and stern. She turned to leave, and Malfoy got to his feet, looking like he was about to slink off. Suddenly he turned and leaned close to Alice.

"Think about it, Daddy's darling blood traitor daughter, hooking up with a pure blood," he smirked.

Alice's blood boiled, and before she knew what was happening, she'd slapped him around the face.

"No means no," she threatened, pulling out her wand.

"Miss Black! You will be joining Mr Potter in detention! Malfoy, you will have a separate detention. Now go back to your own table!"

"At least she didn't take points," Ginny said as the pair of them sat back down.

"But… _Quidditch_," Harry moaned, looking as though his heart was broken.

"It's fine, we'll practice without you," Ginny offered.

"I'm the captain!"

"We can just run drills for the first practice," she shot back coolly.

"Who said you were second in command?" Ron asked.

"Did you really think it would be you?" Ginny snorted. "I'm a better player than you."

"I've been on the team longer than you," Ron argued back.

"That doesn't make you a better player," Ginny retorted.

"Will both of you just shut up?" Alice said irritably as Ron opened his mouth.

* * *

Their detention the next evening involved the pair of them scrubbing the Transfiguration floor without magic. Alice turned up five minutes late and was docked house points. McGonagall locked them in, promising that the door would unlock when they were finished, and that she'd return their wands after dinner.

Alice sighed, removing her tie. "Let's get on with it, or we'll never get any food."

"It's your own fault you're in detention," Harry said, watching her kneel down and catching a glimpse of her knickers under her skirt. "If you hadn't kissed Malfoy in the first place, he wouldn't be harassing you now."

"He kissed me," Alice corrected him. "And besides, you're the one that hexed him."

"I barely touched him," Harry insisted.

"You didn't _have _to hex him," Alice said, bemused.

"Yes I did, he was going to insult you," Harry began scrubbing the floor vigorously.

"But he didn't insult you."

"I don't want him to add you to his list of people to bully," Harry stared straight up at her, green eyes meeting grey.

"I can handle myself," Alice slowly lowered her eyes back to the floor.

"You shouldn't have to," Harry said gently. "You're amazing, no one should be bothering you at all."

Alice snorted, immune to the delicate moment. "You're the only person who thinks that."

The two of them bantered their way through their detention and left in cheerful spirits when the door unlocked. They made their way towards the Great Hall to find an incredibly muddy Ginny and Ron being told off by Filch. Mrs Norris spotted them and started mewling.

"And what are you two doing wandering around the corridors?" Filch glared at them, and Ginny and Ron took the opportunity to slink off, removing their muddy tracks with their wands as they went.

"We've been in detention," Alice told him bluntly. "And it's 7pm, it's nowhere near curfew. Now if you'll excuse us, we're going to dinner."

Filch spluttered incoherently and Mrs Norris glared at them.

"Why on earth did Dumbledore hire a squib to clean the castle?" Alice ranted. "He's such a knob. He hates all the students purely for just being magic, and surely it's quicker to just let the house elves do all the cleaning anyway?"

"Don't let Hermione hear you say that," Harry warned as they entered the Great Hall.

"Don't let me hear you say what?" An irate Hermione appeared behind them.

"Alice said the house elves should do all the cleaning," Harry said mischievously, dropping Alice in it, and Hermione began her usual rant about elf rights.

"Hermione, shut up," Alice told her as they sat down. Harry simply grinned at the pair of them.

"You shut up as well," Alice glared at him, pointing her fork menacingly.

"I've done nothing!" Harry said, with a look of fake innocence.

"You got me in detention!"

"You got yourself in detention."

"You two are like an old married couple," Hermione spoke over them.

"No more than you and Ron," Alice said slyly, grinning at Harry, who smirked back.

Ginny appeared, fresh from a shower.

"How did you get down here so fast?" Hermione frowned.

"I nicked the map," she sat down heavily and sighed. "What an awful practice. Don't get detention again, Harry."

"I'll try not to," Harry looked smug. "Although I am glad I didn't have to go out in this weather," he waved his hand at the ceiling, which crackled ominously with lightning.

Ginny glared at him and helped herself to some dinner.

* * *

November meant one thing: Quidditch. Gryffindor versus Slytherin.

"It's freezing," Alice moaned, stamping her feet and pulling her cloak closer around her.

"At least it's not raining," Hermione said bracingly.

"Hello," Luna had drifted over to them in the stands, with a lion perched on her head.

The two Gryffindor girls stared at her, until Luna tapped her hat with her wand and it gave a loud roar.

"How did you do that?" Hermione demanded. "You're only a fifth year!"

"She's a Ravenclaw," Alice added helpfully.

"It's quite simple really," Luna said, and began to discuss the charm she'd used with Hermione.

Soon, the players flew onto the pitch and the game began. Malfoy winked at Alice before the whistle blew.

"Did he just…?" Hermione couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

"Yes."

"Aren't your dad and his mum related?"

"I'm about as related to him as I am to Harry," Alice replied with a sigh.

"That's disgusting!" Hermione gasped, her hands covering her mouth.

"Pure blooded witches and wizards only are so because their ancestors married their brothers and sisters," Alice explained to her. "Technically my mum and my dad were related somehow."

"I feel ill," Hermione whispered, looking pale.

"It's not like either of them are my actual cousins, they're removed."

"Still," Hermione had a look of complete disgust on her face.

"Are you more worried about me and Malfoy, or are you just repulsed in general at us pure bloods?" Alice teased her.

"Both! It's weird!"

"Love is love," Luna added to the conversation.

"Yeah," Alice said triumphantly.

"Are you really going to let Malfoy make a move on you?" Hermione asked sceptically.

"Of course not," Alice turned back to the match just in time to see Ginny score a magnificent goal, and for Harry to jump off his broom to catch the snitch.

"Idiot!" she screeched as the crowd roared. Harry landed on his feet and gave a cheery grin. The Gryffindor's surged towards the pitch, and Alice fought her way through first.

"You absolute idiot!" she raged, hitting him.

"Ow!" Harry protested. "I was like five feet from the ground!"

"You _so _were not!"

"Stop hitting me!" Harry grabbed at her hands, and managed to catch them.

Alice's grey eyes widened at him. Suddenly the crowd didn't matter to Harry, all that mattered was the short golden haired girl in front of him with the stormy grey eyes, framed with thick lashes, and a smattering of freckles across her nose.

He pulled her towards him, wrapped his arms around her waist and bent down to kiss her. She didn't respond for a few seconds, and then tenderly her arms crept up for her hands to rest on the back of his neck, stroking his hair.

No one had noticed in the confusion of the crowd. Harry pulled away, grinned sheepishly, and Alice smirked and grabbed his hand, lacing her fingers between his.


	5. Chapter 5

"Sirius Black and James Potter, that better not be burnt turkey I can smell!" Lily shouted through the house, barrelling into the kitchen.

"Erm…" Sirius' voice could be heard.

"We just wanted to bring a bit of Christmas cheer…" James mumbled.

"Oh God, what have you done?" Marlene's voice joined the fray in the kitchen, and the smell of burnt food drifted through the house.

Alice's attention was pulled away from the commotion by her sister.

"Tell me about Hogwarts," the ten year old commanded.

Alice sat beside her. Her sister looked just like her, but with their mother's brown eyes. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

"I've already told you everything."

"When can I get my wand?"

"After your birthday."

"But my birthday's tomorrow and then it's Christmas!"

"We'll go after Christmas then," Alice sighed. She adored her sister but she was just so demanding.

"I want cake," the ten year old leapt up, and headed for the door, walking straight into Harry as he entered.

"Hey Jess," Harry grinned, mussing her hair.

She grabbed him around the waist and hugged him. "I missed you. Not Alice. Just you."

Harry laughed as the little blonde girl skipped out of the room. He sat beside Alice on the sofa and took her hand.

They'd decided not to tell anyone about their relationship just yet. Well, they weren't even technically in a relationship. They just met for snogging sessions in abandoned classrooms and empty broom cupboards, and held hands in secret under the dinner table.

"Dinner's saved and ready," Lily sighed, poking her head around the door, covered in ash, pretending not to notice when Alice and Harry jumped away from each other far too quickly. The two teenagers followed her to the kitchen, where Jess was already sat impatiently waiting.

"Are we having turkey every day until Christmas?" Marlene asked tentatively.

"Don't be silly," Lily said, while Sirius answered, "Of course we are, Marley."

Alice took advantage of the commotion to place a hand on Harry's left leg, not meeting his gaze when he looked at her hungrily. He stabbed his turkey with too much venom, and Alice squeezed before letting go. Harry's fingers ghosted up her thigh in return, disappearing under her skirt. She had to suppress a shiver, and Harry smirked. They gave up then, knowing that they wouldn't get away with anything more.

It was after everyone else had gone to bed when they got the chance to meet again. Alice crept across the landing, taking care to avoid the creaky floorboard that James had never got round to fixing, and slipped into Harry's room.

He was still awake and waiting for her. "You're not wearing make up," he stated.

Alice frowned. "No, I took it off. Why?"

Harry smiled at her. "I haven't seen you not wear it in ages. I like it."

She couldn't help but smile in return. She clambered into his bed, sitting on top of him, and kissed him gently. His warm hands rested on her bare back, underneath her baggy t shirt. The pressure with which he kissed her intensified, and she could feel him between her legs. His hands began to wander.

"Wait," Alice said, pulling away.

"What?" Harry asked, confused.

"I really don't want to fuck this up by going too fast," Alice admitted. "You're my best friend, and whatever this is… I just don't want to lose you."

"That won't happen," Harry said. "I promise. If you don't want to do this, then we won't do it."

"Oh I want to," Alice replied. "I _so _want to."

"No," Harry said firmly. "If you're not sure about it, then we won't do it." He pulled her down to cuddle him, and they fell asleep together for the first time.

* * *

Christmas Day saw the entire Potter household in chaos. James had insisted, as he did every year, of hosting the annual Potter Christmas ball. A small army of house elves entered at midday to prepare the house for the numerous guests, along with Hermione, who tutted about elf rights, and Ginny, who's usually bright brown eyes were red and puffy.

"Oh my God, are you ill?" Alice asked her, alarmed.

"She split up with Dean," Hermione informed her tartly.

"Why?" Alice looked to Ginny for an answer.

"We just don't get along anymore," she mumbled.

"Game plan," Alice stood in front of her and glared. "You will look amazing tonight. You will look fantastic and we'll find you someone to pull to take your mind off him."

"I don't think -" Hermione began.

"Shut up," Alice glared at her too. "I know what's best in these situations. What's best is for Ginny to feel absolutely brilliant about herself, because she _is _brilliant."

Ginny gave a genuine smile. "Thanks Alice."

"And you," Alice turned to Hermione. "You will look absolutely banging tonight too because you are finally going to get Ron."

"I do _not _fancy Ron!" Hermione insisted for the hundredth time.

Ginny and Alice just laughed at her.

The afternoon sped by, and soon it was eight o' clock and the guests were beginning to arrive.

"Ugh, why are _they _here?" Alice complained to her dad as the Malfoys walked through the door.

"Andromeda insisted," Sirius muttered back, looking as cross as she felt.

"Oh but Dad, Malfoy's such an arse," Alice whined.

"I know."

Harry met her eye from across the room and smiled. Ginny began helping herself to the punch next to him.

Alice crossed the room to join her friends, when a voice in her ear startled her. "Looking good tonight, Black."

"Piss off," she said automatically, carrying on towards Harry and Ginny. Harry looked quite cross at Malfoy.

Alice joined Ginny with the punch. Soon the two girls were giggling away.

At some point in the evening Alice stumbled towards the bathroom, vaguely aware of Hermione following her. Ginny had stayed with Harry at the party.

The bathroom door opened with a bang against the wall to reveal a very busy Ron and Lavender Brown.

"Oi, get out, I need to pee!" Alice pushed past them. Hermione had disappeared.

Returning to the party, Alice pushed her way through the crowd, ignoring a smirking Draco Malfoy, and made her way back to where she'd left Harry and Ginny, where they were snogging furiously.

She dropped her glass, diverting Harry's attention for a moment. Alice turned and ran back the way she'd come. She couldn't stand the smirk on Malfoy's face.

She stumbled into James' study, and found a sobbing Hermione sitting on the floor. Hermione turned to see who'd come in, and seeing the tears streaming down Alice's face, seemed to understand. Alice sank down to sit next to Hermione, and laid her head on her shoulder. They both sobbed together.

After a few minutes, a scuffle could be heard in the hallway. Hermione got up and opened the door to find Harry pinning Malfoy to the wall with his wand.

"You keep away from her," he growled.

"What the hell is going on?!" Hermione demanded.

"He was going to make a move on Alice!" Harry shouted.

"Like you care," Alice said coldly. "How dare you? _How fucking dare you?_"

Her tears had dried now, and she felt sober.

"She just came at me -"

"So you could've pushed her away. But you didn't. I thought you cared about me Harry. Fuck, I thought you liked me!" Alice was shouting now, and she didn't much care who heard. Harry was gaping at her like a goldfish, and Malfoy took the opportunity to push his wand away from his face.

Alice pushed past Harry roughly, grabbing Malfoy's arm and dragging him away from the hallway, up the stairs and to her room. She closed the door and rounded on him.

"Let's get one thing straight," she growled at him. "I'm using you."

"Fine by me," Draco drawled, leaning against her wardrobe. "I'm using you too."

"Then we're clear."

"Crystal."

* * *

"What have I done?" Harry groaned in horror, watching Alice disappear up the stairs in his house with his arch enemy.

"When did you and Alice get together?" Hermione asked bluntly.

"After the Quidditch match…"

"Oh Harry!" Hermione gasped. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I… we never really talked about what it was," Harry slid down the wall he was leaning against.

"If you'd told us, maybe Ginny never would have made a move on you," Hermione said gently.

"Fuck," Harry ran his hands through his hair. "Hermione, what do I do?"

Hermione sat next to him, keen on sorting his problems out rather than facing her own. "Do you like Alice?"

"Yes."

"Do you like Ginny?"

"Er…"

"_Harry._"

"I don't know, maybe…"

"Harry!"

"I can't help it Hermione! They're both brilliant!"

"You should be honest with them both," Hermione advised him. "Ginny's liked you for years, but she's also Ron's sister. Alice hasn't liked you for quite as long, but I think she's fallen for you quite hard and very quickly. Alice rarely likes anyone that much."

Harry looked at Hermione properly. "You saw Ron and Lavender."

Hermione wiped a stray tear from her eye. "Yes."

"I'm sorry. I wish I could tell him what an idiot he's being."

"Yes, well…"

"I should talk to her, shouldn't I?"

"Yes. And maybe wait until Ginny's sober before you talk to her."

"You're brilliant, Hermione," Harry smiled.

He quickly got to his feet, and climbed the stairs two at a time. He had to get there before Draco made his move.

He heard an inordinate amount of shouting coming from her room.

"GET OUT!" Sirius roared, pulling Draco out of her bedroom door and throwing him down the stairs. Harry hid, knowing Sirius' temper and how easy it was for him to snap.

"What on earth were you doing up here with Draco Malfoy?!" Sirius bellowed at his daughter.

"I was going to have sex with him!" Alice yelled back. Marlene barrelled up the stairs towards the commotion, not noticing Harry in the shadows.

"He's a slimy git, Alice! Just like his father!"

"Yeah? Well maybe I was using him to get back at someone!" Alice was close to tears now, and she stormed out of her bedroom past Sirius and disappeared out the front door.

Harry heard the telltale creak that meant Sirius had sunk down on her bed. "Did we… Were we that bad? Did we teach her that?"

"Oh God," Marlene gasped. "_Oh God. _We're terrible parents."

* * *

Lily found Harry and Hermione sat together looking miserable in the study a little while after the party had dispersed. Hermione was supposed to be staying in Alice's room, but neither of them wanted to move just yet.

"Harry?" Lily asked softly, and Hermione excused herself. "What's going on?"

Harry sighed, resting his chin on his knees, and in a dull voice, told his mother about the evening that he'd had, including what he'd overheard between Sirius and Alice. She sat next to him, sensing that it was going to be a long story, and pulled his head to rest against her shoulder.

"And I swear, I never meant to hurt her, Mum!" Harry said, trying not to cry.

"Harry my darling, I promise everything's going to be alright."

"Will it?" Harry asked glumly. "I'm not so sure. Even if it does work out, won't Sirius kill me?"

"Sirius loves you," Lily said firmly. "Sirius will always love you. You're just a teenage boy. The important thing is that you're sorry, and you are."

"I think I love her," he whispered.

"Then tell her, my love," Lily advised him. "Be honest with her, it's the only way to sort this out."


	6. Chapter 6

It was raining, and Alice hadn't brought her wand. Cursing herself, she carried on walking in her heels, ignoring the steadily increasing cold she was feeling cut right through her. She stopped under the shade of a tree, and pulled her packet of cigarettes out of her bra. She lifted one to her mouth before she realised that she had nothing to light it with.

"Oh for fuck's sake!" she burst out, and the sound echoed around the empty road. A light flicked on in the closest house, which was one of several in a terrace.

"Black?" A voice came from the darkness. Alice looked up, and there was Zabini, topless, his head poking out of the window, his wand lit.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she demanded.

"I _live_ here," he countered. "Why are you out alone in the dark?"

"None of your bloody business."

Zabini sighed, and disappeared from the window. A few minutes later the front door opened, and he stepped out with an umbrella. He lit her cigarette with his wand, rolling his eyes when he took in her drenched appearance.

"Come in," he said, heading back towards the house. She followed him, curious. The house was small and sparsely decorated.

"Won't your mum mind?" she asked.

Zabini shrugged. "She's on her honeymoon."

Her grey eyes widened. "So you're alone for Christmas?"

He shrugged his dark shoulders. He was slender, but quite muscly. Hanging off his hips were grey tracksuit bottoms. Alice couldn't stop herself remembering what was under them, and blushed.

"You're not going all shy on me now are you Black?" Zabini smirked and took her cigarette off her for a drag.

"No," she snorted, trying to calm her blush. "I thought you were rich?" she blurted out.

"We are," Blaise shrugged. "We just choose to spend our fortune wisely. I like living here. If you live in a giant house like Potter or Malfoy then it just attracts the wrong attention."

"More attention than seven dead husbands?" Alice raised an eyebrow.

Blaise smirked again, handing her cigarette back. "Nobody knows we live here. It's nice."

"I wouldn't have put a Slytherin in Godric's Hollow, to be honest," Alice agreed.

"I was almost put in Ravenclaw, you know," Blaise sat on a comfy looking sofa, and Alice followed suit. He waved his wand and she was immediately dry. A fire sprung to life in the grate and she was forcibly reminded of the Gryffindor common room.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yeah, my mum was a Ravenclaw. I'm not stupid you know," he teased her, seeming much more at ease than he ever had at Hogwarts.

"I don't know, you're in a house with Crabbe and Goyle," she teased him back.

"I mostly hang out with the Slytherin seventh years," he revealed. "Draco has some insane ideals, and Crabbe and Goyle and Parkinson just go along with him. Occasionally Nott does too, but he does his own thing most of the time. I'm not one to follow the crowd."

"I see that," Alice said, more to herself than to him.

"Neither are you," his dark eyes bored into her grey ones. "Most Gryffindors stick to their own company."

"So do most Slytherins," she countered. She was aware of him moving closer, and she did absolutely nothing to stop him.

His lips just grazed hers before she pulled away.

"I should go…" she stood up.

He didn't look put off, he just nodded. She'd got to the door when she paused and turned around.

"I'm taking my sister to Diagon Alley on Monday, you should come."

"Ok," he smiled, and she left.

* * *

Hermione paced around Alice's room, waiting for her to return. Harry had been forbidden to go and look for her by his mother, and James, Sirius and Remus had gone instead.

The front door opened, and Hermione heard Sirius' voice carrying up the stairs. "…I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed. I thought you had more sense than to go running around a village in the middle of the night in the dark."

"Yeah whatever, Dad," Alice said, and Hermione stepped out of her room to peer over the bannister. She saw Alice stand on her tiptoes and peck her father on the cheek. "Night."

Sirius looked shocked, and James and Remus laughed at him. "She has you wrapped around her finger there, mate," James chuckled. "Just like Mar."

Alice bounded up the stairs, oddly cheerful compared to the state she'd been only a couple of hours ago.

"Where've you been?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"Oh, out and about," Alice said vaguely, pulling her pyjamas on. Hermione noted that they were Harry's old t shirt and boxers.

"Why are you so happy?"

"Because someone actually likes me, Hermione," Alice cracked a smile.

"Yes, Harry likes you," Hermione said, annoyed.

"Not him, the wanker," a scowl graced Alice's features momentarily.

"Not Malfoy?"

"God no."

"Then who?"

"You'll see on Monday," Alice beamed. "Night!"

* * *

Sirius and Marlene were too busy at work to take Jess shopping for her Hogwarts supplies, and she'd insisted on getting them as soon as she turned eleven, so the task fell to Alice. She Flooed her sister to the Leaky Cauldron, Hermione following close behind. She didn't trust Jess to Floo on her own, given Harry's mishap with the Weasley's just before his second year when he ended up in Knockturn Alley.

She spotted Blaise leaning against the doorframe to the back exit, and she made a beeline for him.

"Oh dear God," Hermione muttered, grabbing Jess and taking her through the entrance to Diagon Alley before they both got an eyeful of the pair snogging.

"I thought she liked Harry?" Jess asked, confused.

"She does," Hermione said.

"Then why was she kissing that boy?"

"Merlin only knows how your sister's brain works," Hermione said severely. "I hope you don't turn out like her."

Harry himself made his way over to them morosely, clutching a letter in his fist.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I'm meeting Malfoy."

"_What?_"

He pushed a letter into her hand, and she unfolded it and began reading.

_Potter,_

_Blaise just wrote to me and told me that he's seeing Black in Diagon Alley on Monday. I might hate you, but we both like her so obviously this thing they have needs to be stopped. I can't rely on Crabbe and Goyle in situations like these, and Blaise is usually my next port of call._

_Meet me outside the Quidditch shop on Monday at noon. _

_Draco_

"You're both insane," Hermione said flatly, returning the letter.

"Maybe, but she's bloody well going out with Zabini and I can't just let her make a mistake like that," he snarled.

"You should've been put in Slytherin," Hermione said loftily.

"Yeah, and you should've been in Ravenclaw like the rest of the brainiacs."

Hermione smiled, and took Jess off to Flourish and Blotts to start the shopping trip.

* * *

Draco saw Harry leaning against a shop wall with his arms folded, looking cross. He shoved his own hands in the pockets of his robes, clutching his wand. "Potter," he greeted him.

"Malfoy." Harry nodded, his chin jerking upwards sharply, glaring at him through his glasses.

"This way," Draco gestured towards Knockturn Alley. "I'd rather not be overheard."

Harry turned and followed him down the dark alleyway leading to the shady street. Draco slipped into an old inn, which was dark and musty and had absolutely no customers. He slipped the barman a few galleons and stepped through to the private parlour in the back.

"So," Draco said, getting down to business. "Got any ideas?"

"A love potion?"

"That's rubbish Potter, what about the Imperius Curse?"

"That's _illegal_, my dad's an auror and he'd go mental."

They traded ridiculous ideas for around half an hour before Harry stopped and eyed Draco suspiciously. "Have you noticed something?"

"What?"

"We're getting along and not cursing each other."

"Hmmm, yes Potty, I think you're right. This is the first conversation I've ever had where I've not bossed people around."

Harry rolled his eyes. "You're such a snob."

"Well you have to boss people like Crabbe and Goyle around, they have no idea what they're doing otherwise."

"I suppose, they are a bit thick."

"Of course, you have Granger to boss you around."

"She does _not _boss me around."

"Of course she does Potty, she's the ringleader of your little group."

"No, I am. Haven't you noticed all the girls after me?"

"You wish."

The pair continued good-naturedly bantering for the rest of the morning, exiting the little pub and returning to the Leaky Cauldron.

"What are you two doing together?" Alice asked them suspiciously, over her lunch (salad) with Blaise.

"Plotting your demise," Harry grinned, and Draco snorted into his soup.

"I'm serious," she glared at him.

"No, your dad is," Draco countered, and he and Harry laughed.

"That's never been funny."

"Don't tell him that," Harry smirked.

"This is weird," Blaise announced. "I'm leaving. See you later," he said to Alice, and pecked her on the lips.

She glared at them both for ruining her date, and they carried on laughing.

* * *

Alice _would _skip out on helping her get her school supplies, Jess thought to herself darkly. They'd all gone when it had been Alice's turn, into every single shop. Jess' feet had ached, but she'd been told to be quiet when she'd complained. Now it was her turn, and _nobody _was there to share this experience for her, except for Hermione.

They'd now picked up everything on the list, and stepped back into the Leaky Cauldron for some lunch. Almost immediately they spotted Alice having an argument with someone. Upon closer inspection it turned out to be Harry and the blond boy that Sirius had so intensely disliked at the Christmas party.

"Hey Jessie," Harry greeted her warmly, while Alice folded her arms and glared at the wall as if it had offended her.

"Granger," Draco greeted Hermione.

"Malfoy. Glad you could hold your tongue," she nodded at Jess, who was hugging Harry.

"I do have some sense, you know," he smirked at her. "Besides, I'm not all bad."

_Yes, you are,_ Hermione thought to herself, although she did notice the softness in his expression whenever he looked at Alice, and she felt some pity for him. Alice was not one to settle down.

A streak of silver light suddenly hurtled through the window and stopped above their table. It arranged itself beautifully into a deer, and she opened her mouth to speak.

"Floo to Hogwarts, _now_," Lily's voice commanded, and the doe dissolved into thin air.

The five of them shot towards the fireplace, grabbing handfuls of Floo powder and throwing them into the fire. As a result, they all tumbled onto Professor Dumbledore's rug when they arrived.

"What's happening?" Harry asked urgently, looking from his parents to the headmaster. Alice and Jess' parents were also present, along with Remus, Tonks, and surprisingly, Snape.

"Sit down, darling," Lily began, but James cut her off by pacing the room.

The headmaster stared at him gravely. "Lord Voldemort has returned."

* * *

**A/N: Sooooo I've still been getting some hate reviews. Constructive criticism is welcomed, but if you're just going to post rubbish then at least do it under your own username. I'd like to thank JadedLights07 who gave me some ideas for this chapter :)**

**As a result of the shitty reviews I've been getting, I feel like I need to justify Alice's character a little. She's a teenager, and she's not really sure of who she is yet, so she just kind of goes along with things, including boys when they come at her. Bear in mind that she's Marlene and Sirius' daughter too, and has aspects of their personalities, like Marlene's bluntness and Sirius' arrogance, as well as both of their give no fucks attitude that they both had at that age (see my story The Life, Love and Laughter of Marlene McKinnon if you want to see more of Marlene's character, we all know what Sirius is like). There's also the typical fifteen year old attitude of having feelings for any and all close male friends, which is where her relationship with Harry comes into play. I'm still not sure how that's going to work out. Of course, I might just kill her off... no, I'm just kidding. **

**Thanks to all the people who have been positive and lovely. Your reviews brighten my day and help balance out the awful ones. **


	7. Chapter 7

"What?" Harry was the first to speak.

"How?" Was Hermione's question.

"I'm not sure of the facts," the headmaster admitted. "But he's back, and we are at war once again."

Draco fell into an empty chair. War, again? His father used to be a Death Eater. Did that mean he would be fighting on the Dark Lord's side once again? Or would he stay out of it, for his family's sake? Draco hoped it was the latter.

"I wish to speak with you, Draco," Snape said abruptly, and swept him out of the room.

"What's going to happen?" his voice cracked as they descended the moving staircase. Draco couldn't even bring himself to admire his surroundings, he had never visited the headmaster's office before.

"Your father will return to serve the Dark Lord. He must do so, or he will be killed."

Draco gulped.

"You, however, have a choice."

"I do?" Draco's voice quavered in the air.

"Yes," the Potions Master turned to fact him, black eyes boring into grey. "If you choose to fight on Dumbledore's side, you can do so in secret, and the Dark Lord will never know."

"What if I don't want to fight?" Draco's voice sounded steadier now, more sure. "What if I just want to stay out of it?"

"You can't just stay out of it, the Dark Lord will see to that," Snape hissed. "You have to make a choice, Draco."

Meanwhile, back in the headmaster's office, James was still pacing. "We're not going back into hiding. We're going to fight."

"For your safety -"

"Screw the safety! We hid last time while he hunted us down! He almost killed us three times! Marlene was kidnapped and tortured because they thought she was the Secret Keeper!" James bellowed. Harry had never seen his father lose control like this before. "We are going to fight, and we are going to _win_, because it's right."

Lily, in contrast, remained in her seat, silent tears running down her face.

"Mum?" Alice whispered. She looked terrified. "Were you really… Did they really…"

Marlene nodded, her complexion pale. Sirius' jaw was set, he never liked to think about the time Marlene was taken. He liked it even less that Snape was the one to save her. It should have been him and James.

James sighed. "Sit down," he said to Harry and Alice more than to Hermione and Jess.

"Take Jess home please, Hermione," Marlene requested, her voice shaking. "You know enough protective charms to keep our house safe for a little while, don't you?"

Hermione nodded, preferring not to mention that she'd only studied the theory for those charms.

"I have to get back to work," Tonks murmured to Remus, and he nodded. He already knew what his part would be.

The three of them left together, Tonks offering to apparate the pair of them back.

Harry and Alice sat, their problems forgotten in the face of this doom.

"Voldemort believed that you were capable of killing him, Harry," James began boldly. "Someone made a prophecy, which said that a boy born at the end of July to parents who had escaped from Voldemort three times had the power to defeat him. Voldemort decided that it meant you, and he came after us."

"Who else could it have meant?" Harry asked quietly.

"Neville Longbottom," Lily answered, tears still prominent on her face, but her voice was strong. "After Voldemort's power was broken by Peter, some of the remaining Death Eaters hunted Frank and Alice down, and tortured them to insanity. They've been in St Mungo's ever since, and Neville grew up with his grandmother."

"Not only were Frank and Alice great friends of ours," James continued, "they were brilliant aurors. Alice Longbottom is your namesake, Alice."

Alice had never given much thought to her name before now. Alice Lily. Her mother's two best friends.

"But what if it is Neville that the prophecy was referring to?" Harry asked. "There's nothing special about me at all, I'm extremely average."

Alice gave a small smile at his comment.

James looked towards the headmaster, looking hopeful.

"Lord Voldemort chose you, Harry. He's going to come after you and your family no matter what. I believe we can win this war. Trust and love are the things that will beat him. Always remember that."

Harry looked at his mother, who was devastated at the news. She was muggle-born, but a brilliant witch nonetheless. He thought of Hermione, who had always been top of the year in every subject. He thought of the Weasleys, and how unfailingly kind they all were. He looked at Sirius and Marlene, who treated him as his own flesh and blood, and Remus, poor Remus, who didn't deserve any of it. He thought of Draco, who was just like him really, only on the other side.

"What are you asking me to do?" he asked the headmaster bluntly.

"I'm not asking you to do anything, Harry," the headmaster smiled under his beard. The silent 'yet' reverberated throughout the room.

"Bullshit," Alice said loudly. "You know full well that as soon as we both come of age, we'll fight."

Harry nodded resolutely.

"No," Marlene said. "You're not fighting. No way."

"Mar," Sirius said quietly, his grey eyes gentle on her furious brown ones. "We fought."

"I almost _died_," Marlene snapped at him. "I'm not letting my oldest daughter run into a war she has no fucking clue about."

"So what am I going to do then?" Alice folded her arms, glaring at her mother.

"You're going to stay out of it," Marlene gave her the same glare back.

"No!" Alice cried. "My best friend is being hunted, your best friends and your only family are being hunted, we are not going to stay out of it! It's wrong!"

"We're _all _going to be hunted," Sirius said bluntly. "We were last time."

"We're not going back into hiding," James said flatly. "The sooner this is over, the better."

"You mean if he's going to kill us, it's better to do it quickly?" Marlene argued.

"Yes."

"Don't you have faith in our cause? _We're right_."

"That's a change of tune from 'staying out of it'," James grinned, and Marlene groaned, knowing her argument was lost.

She pointed at Alice. "Not until after you've left Hogwarts."

Lily wiped her face, and nodded in agreement. "Same to you," she said to Harry.

* * *

After they'd returned home, Alice was leaning out her bedroom window for a smoke, and Harry knocked gently on her open door, still half expecting her to tell him to bugger off.

"Everything's changed now, hasn't it?" she said, staring out over Godric's Hollow.

"Yeah," Harry agreed, stepping into the room and leaning out the window next to her. The wind was sharp on his face and he noticed that the tips of her fingers had gone white from the cold.

"So I'm your best friend again?" he nudged her playfully, hoping that this was enough to make things right, whatever 'right' meant.

"You never stopped being my best friend, arsehole," she smirked at him.

"I don't like you going out with Zabini," he told her honestly.

"You don't have to," she snapped. "I don't like you being friends with Draco all of a sudden. I think he's going to screw you over."

"He probably will," Harry agreed. "But it's better than constantly duelling, don't you think?"

"I suppose," Alice allowed. "Just be careful Harry."

"You too." He turned to leave.

"Harry?" she'd finished her cigarette and flicked it out the window.

He turned back. Her eyes looked like granite in the sunset.

She took a deep breath. "I love you."

"I love you too," he told her, honestly. _In that way_, he added silently. He turned around and left to walk home.

* * *

Marlene entered Jess' room to say goodnight. She found her curled up in the corner of her bed, her brown eyes darting around.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Aren't people coming to kill us?" she squeaked, and a closer look told Marlene that she'd been crying.

"Oh honey," Marlene sat on the bed. "Probably. But your dad and I have put up protective enchantments. No one's getting into our house without our permission."

"I'm scared," the eleven year old admitted.

"So am I," Marlene wrapped her arm around the blonde double of herself. She was tall for her age, almost at Marlene's shoulders when she stood. Her hair had Sirius' gentle waves though, whereas Alice had Marlene's curls.

Sirius was walking past when he heard the two of them talking quietly. He peeked around the door to watch them.

In a way, it hadn't been so bad last time. He'd had less to lose, and he'd very nearly lost everything. If Marlene hadn't been Lily's very best friend, he had no doubt that Snape would have just let her rot in the torture cell they were keeping her in. She'd very nearly lost Alice. They'd found out afterwards that Travers had tried to take Alice out of her, but Snape and Peter had fought him off.

As much as he hated Snape, he owed him her life, and the life of their oldest daughter, as well as James', Lily's and Harry's lives.


	8. Chapter 8

_Some time later_

"I wish they'd hurry up," Alice grumbled, looking towards the doors to the Entrance hall, where she knew the first years were gathered. It was September, and the Sorting was about to begin.

"Be patient," Hermione told her, her hair tied in a knot, her Head Girl badge gleaming on her neatly pressed robes. "Where's your tie?"

Alice rolled her eyes.

"She lost it," Ginny said, holding hands with Harry over the table.

"Please stop doing that," Ron glared at his best friend and sister.

"What, this?" Ginny grinned, reaching over to kiss Harry.

Alice face planted the table, groaning. It wasn't that she wasn't happy for them both, she was. But deep down, she missed Harry. Things still weren't quite right between them.

"I still can't believe Malfoy's Head Boy," Hermione said crossly, folding her arms. "I have to work with him calling me a Mudblood and belittling me _all year_."

"It's just an act," Harry reassured her. "Well maybe he is a bit of a supremacist, but he's on our side."

"I still don't understand why you're friends with him," Ron snarled.

"He's not that bad once he drops the attitude. He only has it because of his position. Think about it, he's the Slytherin prince. He _has _to have that attitude or the rest of the house will turn on him."

_Not all of them_, Alice thought, thinking of her ex boyfriend Blaise.

Blaise had been her first real boyfriend. She'd never really cared for him beyond a physical attraction, but he had adored her. She broke it off before they got in too deep. He still gazed at her across the Great Hall from time to time, but they never spoke. It had been far too normal for her liking. They were in the middle of a war, and she didn't dare let herself develop feelings for anyone. It wasn't like her parents, they had both been on the same side. Blaise would no doubt be pushed towards the other side, no matter how much he tried to keep out of it, and her feet were firmly planted on _this _side.

The doors opened and the first years filed in. However, before the Sorting began, the headmaster stood.

"Welcome everyone. Before we allow our attention to wander, I would like to say a few words to you all."

"Nine months ago, Lord Voldemort returned. Many heavy casualties have been sustained since then, many loved ones lost, and many lives, ruined forever. It is important, therefore, under these dire circumstances, to be more united than we have ever been. No matter which house you are in, no matter the circumstances of your birth, we are all fighting together. I look to our Head Boy and Girl, from traditionally opposing houses to help bring us all together. This year, every year group will take part in the House Unity initiative. In addition, Professor Lupin and some of his friends will be hosting a Duelling Club, for those who wish to take part. I wish you all a very good year."

Professor McGonagall began calling out names of the first years, and Harry turned to Hermione.

"Well at least we know why Draco is Head Boy now."

She still looked cross.

There were only three people to be sorted before Jess, and Alice very much hoped that she'd be the first Gryffindor.

"Black, Jessica!"

"Come on, Jess," Alice muttered, crossing her fingers under the table.

Jess looked absolutely terrified, stumbling over the hem of her robes before finally reaching the stool, and having the hat placed on her head.

It had barely been on five seconds before it screamed it's answer.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"What?" Alice snapped at it.

Looking relieved, Jess hopped off the stool and went to sit with her fellow Hufflepuffs.

"What the hell?" Alice raged.

"What's wrong with Hufflepuff?" Hermione raised an eyebrow at her.

"It's the duffer house! All the stoners live there! My sister can't be a stoner, we have a war to fight!"

"Hufflepuffs are loyal," Hermione reminded her. "I have no doubt that they'll be on our side, fighting our cause."

Alice eyed Ernie Macmillan, the Hufflepuff prefect in Hermione's year, shaking Jess' hand pompously. "I suppose."

The Sorting finished and dinner was loud and raucous as usual. Professor Dumbledore dismissed them for bed and there was the usual uproar.

"Hermione!" Ernie fought his way over from the Hufflepuff table, a string of first years following him. "I'm sorry I never got to speak to you at the Prefects meeting earlier, congratulations." He put his hand out for her to shake, and although he hadn't got Head Boy, he didn't look as though he was too disappointed.

"Thank you Ernie," Hermione smiled warmly, before gathering the Gryffindor first years.

"Granger!" Draco wanted her this time. "We need to sort out the patrol schedules tonight, before the timetables go out."

"Oh yes, of course," Hermione said stiffly, disliking being told what to do by Malfoy, of all people. "Ron, d'you mind?" she gestured towards the first years.

Ron gave Draco a distrusting look before leading the first years off.

"How was your summer?" Draco asked.

"Why are you being nice to me?" Hermione was taken aback.

Draco shrugged. "We have to put up with each other for the rest of the year, Granger, we might as well get along."

She didn't fully trust him, but replied all the same. "My summer was ok, I suppose. Yours?"

Draco laughed bitterly. "Father wants me to join the Death Eaters. Aunt Bellatrix kept threatening me with the Cruciatus curse if I refused. I told them I wanted some more time to think about it."

She was surprised about how open he was being about it. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't want to be a Death Eater," he admitted. "Some of the things they do… I don't think I could do."

"Magically or morally?"

"Morally," he answered. "I'm not stupid Granger. I can do most things you know."

They reached the Head's office, but Hermione paused before they entered. "Would you consider fighting on our side?"

"You're fighting?" he seemed confused.

"Of course I am. I'm not going to sit around waiting to be killed."

"Well it's different for you," Draco said, and he looked like he was choosing his words carefully. "Your family doesn't have ties with the Dark Lord. He doesn't know where to find you. If you were in my position and decided to fight on the other side in secret, you'd be a threat to him."

"_Are _you fighting on our side in secret?" Hermione asked him bluntly.

"Now that's not something I'd tell you if I was, is it Granger?" he opened the door to the office.

Hermione was pleasantly surprised. There was a comfortable sofa, a few tables dotted around, a desk each for them and a crackling fire.

"Draco?" Hermione said tentatively, not sure if they were on first name terms yet.

"Hmmm?" he looked up from the desk he was examining, a dark oak embossed with the Slytherin colours of green and silver.

"Do you want to fight at all? Or would you rather stay out of it?"

"I'd rather stay out of it," he said immediately. "I don't think that's an option though."

"Probably not," she agreed, stepping towards her own desk and pulling out a blank patrol timetable.

* * *

Alice was staring broodily into the fire in the Gryffindor common room when Hermione returned.

"Go to bed," Hermione said softly, making her jump.

"God, you scared me."

"Sorry," Hermione sat next to her. "You know, I think I know what Harry sees in Draco."

"He's capable of being an actual human being sometimes," Alice said. "I noticed it too."

"Well, yes," Hermione said. "But really, he's the same as Harry."

"Is he?"

"The Malfoys have always been on Voldemort's side," Hermione explained. "The Potters have always been fighting him. They're both loved and supported by their families, they're both only children… they're also both incredibly spoiled."

Alice smirked. "Until he was five, Harry used to throw a tantrum whenever he wanted something he couldn't have. James always used to give in to him, and then one day Lily came home from visiting her sister. She saw how she was with Harry's cousin and promised that Harry wouldn't turn out like that, so she put a stop to it."

"Lily's quite the role model," Hermione smiled.

"She's yours, isn't she?" Alice asked quietly.

"She was Head Girl, top of the class in every subject, fought in the war and managed to settle down and have a family," Hermione said quietly. "Sometimes I think that because I'm such a know it all and I make no effort with my appearance, that no one will ever love me."

"That's stupid," Alice said. "Ron loves you."

Hermione smiled, thinking of Bill and Fleur's wedding, where they had danced all night until their feet ached, and laughed so hard that their faces felt like they were going to burst. "At least he's not going out with Lavender anymore."

"God, that was awful," Alice gagged. "Oh Won-Won!" she said in a shrill voice, imitating Lavender.

Hermione cracked up laughing, and Alice joined in until they both had tears streaming down their faces.

"What are you two laughing at?" Ginny descended the staircase from the boys dormitories.

"What were you doing up there?" Hermione said severely, putting on her Head Girl voice.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Relax, I wasn't doing anything with Harry. I actually went up to borrow the map." She had the map in her hand, so this wasn't technically a lie.

"Why?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"Never you mind," she tapped her nose. "Come on, Alice."

Alice stood up and followed Ginny out of the portrait hole. "Where are we going? And couldn't you have nicked the cloak while you were up there?"

"Relax, we're only going to the kitchens," Ginny smirked. "Fred and George gave me an idea for the start of term prank." She held up a bottle of bright yellow potion.

"What's that?"

"Slightly out of date Elixir to Induce Euphoria," she grinned.

"Oh, I can see where this is going…" Alice grinned too. "The Slytherins?"

"Of course."

"Excellent," Alice linked arms with Ginny and they skipped off to the kitchens, laughing.

* * *

At breakfast the next morning, Ginny and Alice couldn't stop grinning, knowing what was inevitably going to happen.

"What did you do?" Harry asked, looking up from pouring his orange juice and overfilling his goblet.

"Don't ask," Hermione told him, whipping out her wand and siphoning it up. "You two are aware that I could have you in detention for whatever you've done, right?"

"Yeah, but you love us," Alice grinned cheekily, watching Draco take a sip of his black coffee.

"_My coffee tastes funny,_" he began to sing.

"Excellent," Ginny smirked, high fiving Alice across the table.

Suddenly, Pansy Parkinson stood up and squeaked at him in her poor attempt at singing. "_You know Draco, I really wish you were my honey._"

Draco looked simply terrified, and shot his friends a glance to come to his rescue. Crabbe and Goyle blinked stupidly, and Blaise seemed to be watching with amusement. In a last ditch attempt to get someone to come to his rescue, Draco looked over at Harry, who was too busy laughing to see. Even Hermione was smiling and shaking her head.

"Sorry Draco, you're on your own with this one!" she called across the Great Hall, and people were turning to stare at the Slytherins.

"_Pansy, I'm sorry but I don't feel that way…_" he had rather a nice tenor, Alice thought.

Suddenly a fifth year from further down the Slytherin table stood up. She was smartly dressed, a prefect badge gleaming on her robes. Her dark hair curled beautifully down her back, and Alice felt quite jealous at her extraordinary beauty.

"_Draco, if you wanted to ask me to the next Hogsmeade weekend, that would be ok,_" the girl sang in a beautiful soprano, before returning to her seat looking surprised at herself.

Draco stole a look at Alice, who was looking even more surprised, before nodding and going to talk to the girl, the potion appearing to wear off.

"Well that was some mild entertainment," Alice shrugged, returning to her breakfast.

"Alright," Hermione eyed them both. "Are you going to tell me what you did, or do I have to guess?"

"It's _much _more fun when you guess," Alice said sarcastically. "It's a shame it didn't last that long."

"I don't know, some people are still singing," Ron chipped in, looking much more alive than he had prior to eating his first helping of breakfast. "Maybe it depends how much they had whatever you gave them."

Professor McGonagall made her way over to them, looking cross with a smile threatening to twitch at the corner of her mouth. "Am I correct in assuming you were somehow involved, Miss Black?"

"Me?" Alice batted her eyelashes innocently. "When have I ever pulled a prank like this?"

Professor McGonagall simply raised a thin eyebrow at her.

"Actually Professor, it was my idea," Ginny cut in. "Elixir to Induce Euphoria that's about a week past it's use by date."

"Thank you, Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagall said curtly before sweeping off.

Harry looked amazed. "No detention?"

* * *

After the Order meeting at Sirius' abandoned childhood home that brought back awful memories, Marlene disappeared and while the others were milling around before leaving, he set off to find her. He didn't have to look very far, she was in his old bedroom. The room was covered in dust, the Gryffindor banner hanging over his bed faded to a pale red instead of the bright scarlet it was supposed to be. Her blonde curly hair lay over one shoulder as she flicked through abandoned photographs that had fallen out of his cupboard, her feet tucked under her legs as she sat on his bed that hadn't been made in twenty one years. Her eyes were glistening with tears as she looked at one photograph in particular, one that had been taken in their seventh year at Hogwarts.

"Hey," Sirius said softly as he sat next to her, wrapping one arm around her slender shoulders and kissing the bare skin that her top exposed. She handed the photograph to him without saying anything, wiping her eyes after he'd taken it off her.

It was summer in the photograph, taken just before they left. None of the boys had their robes on, just their shirts and ties, loose or untied around their necks apart from Frank and Remus. Lily had her jumper tied around her waist and her tie neatly tied as it should have been, Marlene's tie was loose around her neck and her blouse was transparent from taking a fully clothed dip in the lake, and Alice and Mary were laughing, arms linked.

"I miss them all so much," Marlene whispered. "Alice and Frank are better off dead than what happened to them. Poor Peter… I pushed him into that. I told him when they took me to stand up for himself and do what was right. And Mary… oh God I miss Mary so much."

Sirius kissed her forehead. "Peter saved thousands of lives doing what he did. He saved Lily and James and Harry. He saved our Alice. He saved you. If he hadn't done that, they would have never let you out of there."

He grabbed her by the chin and forced her to look at him. "I can't live without you Mar. Those months when you were gone… I went crazy. You and the girls mean everything to me."

"That's what I'm afraid of, Sirius," the tears were falling now, and her voice faltered. "They're going to go after us personally. They know who we are, what we can do. Alice is so bull headed that she'll go straight into a fight and get herself killed, and Jess is too young to fight, but that won't stop them from going after her."

Sirius closed his eyes and pulled her into his chest, wrapping both his arms tight around her. "I know, but they're safe at Hogwarts for now."


	9. Chapter 9

They both leaned back until they were laying down. It was ironic, Sirius thought, that he'd married a pure-blooded woman after all, after all the pushing his parents had done towards other pure-blooded girls, and he'd ended up with Marlene McKinnon, who's blood was as pure as his was, yet she was just as much of a traitor.

He gazed down into her brown eyes that were brimming with curiosity and tears and questions. Blood was all it came down to, really. But everybody bled the same, the same colour, the same texture, it was all exactly the same.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked quietly, taking one of his hands and rubbing her thumb over his knuckles. There were still scars there from when he'd punched through the wall in their flat after she'd been taken, all those years ago.

"What they don't understand… we're all the same, aren't we?" he asked, knowing he wasn't making sense, but she nodded.

"We _are_ exactly the same… me, you, Lily, her God awful sister, every last one of us."

"Then what gives one man the right to kill everyone who thinks like that?"

Marlene snorted. "He doesn't have the right to do that. He just does it anyway, because he's mad."

They became quiet again, and Sirius' mind wandered to more perverse things.

"I think sixteen year old me would've loved having you in my bed," he grinned down at her.

"I've been in your bed once before," she admitted quietly. "After you left, they just thought you'd gone to your room to cool off… and I came round pretending to look for you. Your mum only let me in because I was a pure blood. I knew you weren't coming back, so I came up to your room and just lay here for a while."

Sirius was both touched and curious. "Why?"

She shrugged. "I honestly don't know."

"Come on McKinnon," he smirked.

"We've been married for sixteen years and you still use my maiden name," she rolled her eyes, which were gently lined in pencil.

"Well, what I'm wondering is this: did you masturbate in my bed?"

A twitch at the corner of her mouth threatened to pull it up into a smile. "Maybe."

He grinned triumphantly, and rolled on top of her. "I've always wanted to nail you in my bed."

"And they say romance is dead."

Laughing, he leaned down to kiss her.

* * *

Jess gazed around her common room in fascination. It was nothing like how Alice and Harry had described the Gryffindor common, it felt much more homely and comfortable. After the first day, none of the teachers had the heart to give them homework, so she was half heartedly writing her parents a letter, but she felt like she didn't have much to say.

A small boy made his way over to her, stumbling over his slightly too large robes. She recognised him from her classes.

"D'you mind if I sit with you?" he asked, and she moved her bag out of the opposite seat. "I'm Miles," he said.

"I'm Jess," she replied. He had light brown hair and blue eyes, and a few freckles.

The pair began talking, and she found out that he was muggle-born. He'd had a brother who had also been a wizard, but had died when he was only fourteen. He confessed to her that he was glad to be away from home, as his parents' relationship had been deteriorating since his brother died.

They talked all the way to dinner in the Great Hall (only getting lost twice on the way), and didn't notice when Alice approached them. Her curly hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she seemed at least a foot taller than them.

"Have you written to Mum and Dad yet?" she interrupted them.

"No," Jess replied, somewhat irritated at her sister and the attention she commanded just by her mere presence.

"Well, you should."

"I will."

"Good," Alice folded her arms. "Who's this?"

Jess introduced Miles to her sister, and her grey eyes appeared to be judging him from the way they flicked over him.

"Where's Harry?" Jess asked, craning her neck to see the Gryffindor table. "I haven't seen him yet."

"Probably off shagging Ginny in a broom cupboard somewhere," Alice rolled her eyes.

"Language!" Hermione trilled at her as she strolled past on the way to the Gryffindor table, Draco following behind her, smirking at Alice's words.

"_He's _not having dinner with you, is he?"

"Of course not, don't be stupid," Alice said, a bite of impatience in her tone.

"Weren't you with him last year?"

"No," she snapped, looking immensely cross, before turning around abruptly and going back to the Gryffindor table.

"She seems… nice," Miles said, and Jess laughed, before turning to her mashed potatoes.

* * *

Alice continued to look cross at everything, eventually shouting at Gryffindor first years who got in the way on the way back to the common room. She thought about getting a start on her homework before coming across Ginny and Harry who were kissing and looking sickeningly happy on the sofa in front of the fire.

She would never get used to seeing them together. They were a perfect fit, but she couldn't stand them being so damn _happy_. The familiar feeling of her stomach dropping threatened to overwhelm her, so she turned on her heel, slamming the portrait behind her.

"Are you trying to get me off the wall?" the Fat Lady called indignantly from behind her, and soon Alice found an empty classroom, locked the door and sunk down, leaning miserably against the door. She allowed tears to fall, just this once.

It was Ron of all people who found her on his rounds that evening. She'd been sat there for hours and it was well past curfew, but he hammered on the door until she let him in. He looked uncomfortable at the prospect of a crying girl, and offered to go and get Hermione. Alice shook her head, knowing full well that Hermione would tell her to stop sleeping around and find a nice boy.

"Sorry," she muttered, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her robes, and then remembered her make up. "Oh, crap…"

"Here," Ron conjured a handkerchief, and she blew her nose and wiped her eyes properly.

"Fuck it, people already talk about me enough," she said, and she allowed him to escort her back to the common room.

She stepped up to the dormitory, hoping that it was empty, but found Charlotte and Evie wearing face masks and giving each other manicures. Ginny's bed was empty, indicating that she was staying in the boys dormitories that night.

"Hey babe," Evie said brightly, "do you want a face… are you alright?"

Alice simply wailed.

* * *

Harry lay flat on his back, breathing deeply. Sometimes Ginny loved to watch him sleep, because he looked so untroubled. Having Lord Voldemort after your family was a strain, and she knew that his parents had already had a close call with him in the last couple of months.

She knew Alice had seen them canoodling on the sofa, and she'd fled the scene. She hadn't seen her since, and to be honest, she didn't want to. Harry had never said anything, but she suspected that they'd had a thing last year. There was a time just before Christmas last year when the pair of them were just too cheerful. Alice had never said anything either, and it felt like there was now a massive wedge between them.

Ginny and Alice had always told each other everything, down to what they'd eaten that day. Now whenever Alice opened her mouth she was grouchy about something, and Ginny was getting tired of it. She just wanted them to go back to normal.

_She's in love with him, _a voice in her head told her, a voice that she wanted to forget, but couldn't. It was the voice of the boy who'd shown her kindness and sympathy in her first year, and almost killed her. _She's going to take him from you._

_No, _she told herself. _She wouldn't. There are some lines that even Alice won't cross._

_Are you sure? _The voice taunted her. It had lost its gentle lilt that had been his teenage voice, and was now a hiss full of cold hatred. _Are you really that naive?_

Ginny couldn't stand it anymore. She got out of bed, pulling her robes around her, and slipped quietly out of the dormitory and headed towards her own.

Alice's bed appeared to be glowing, indicating that she wasn't asleep and was reading by wandlight. Ginny ripped the curtains open, intending to confront her, but was met by a blubbering wreck of a girl.

"Shit," was all she could say. Alice couldn't seem to stop crying. She had a mound of chocolate in front of her and was curled up in her baggiest pyjamas. Her wand lay abandoned at the foot of her bed, one end glowing like a torch.

Ginny crawled into bed next to her, and pulled her into a cuddle. "Is he really worth all this?" she whispered.

Alice choked out a laugh. "Probably not. But I love him and he's my best friend and _I miss him. _I miss _you._"

Ginny gave a small giggle. "There's a war out there, the whole world's gone to shit and we're both in love with the same boy."

Even Alice laughed at that. "I know. Fuck, we're a right pair, aren't we?"

They giggled themselves into silence, and Alice sniffed again.

"Why didn't you tell me when something was going on?"

"I knew you liked him, I didn't want to hurt you."

"I'd have been happy for you," Ginny said, although she knew this was a lie.

"And I'm happy for you now," Alice said, "but in a totally miserable way."

The pair of them fell asleep together, just like they did whenever they had sleepovers when they were younger. The chocolate melted onto the bed covers, and Alice's wand stay lit but rolled onto the floor, and the two of them slept leaning on each other.


	10. Chapter 10

Time blurred past and before Alice knew it, it was October. Professor McGonagall had called her to her office one evening, and she was ambling along towards the first floor. She knocked twice on the door, and the strict professor called "enter."

The professor merely observed her for a moment, the fire crackling warmly behind her, before she began.

"Are you alright, Alice?" she asked kindly.

Alice almost fell off her seat in shock. First name terms and kindness from the professor?

"Um," she said, not knowing what to address first. "Yes. Are _you_?"

Professor McGonagall frowned. "What on earth do you mean?" she asked, back to her usual strict tone.

"No offence professor, but you're hardly ever… well, nice. I thought you were pulling me in here about my grades."

"I am, Miss Black. I merely wondered if there was something troubling you. Your marks are never usually this bad. You've failed to complete your homework on at least ten occasions in over three subjects, including my own. This is NEWT level work, Miss Black, and I hope that you're taking it seriously."

Alice's grey eyes met the professor's green ones. Hers were not as vivid as Harry's, and the thought of him made her stomach twist painfully. "I'll be honest with you professor. There's a fucking war out there, my parents are fighting in it and NEWTs are the last thing on my mind right now."

"How on earth do you expect to fight in a war if you don't know any NEWT level magic?" McGonagall replied tartly. "The Death Eaters won't hold back because you're an underage girl. The more you practice, the more adept you will become at these spells. You are your father's daughter, he never did his homework either. He's still an exceptional wizard because he practiced."

Alice lowered her eyes to the floor. "Yes professor."

"I am willing to dismiss your incomplete homework thus far. Get this weeks assignments done, and your first duelling lesson is tomorrow." The professor returned to the notes that she'd been perusing before Alice arrived. "You may leave."

Alice wandered back to the common room in a state of shock.

* * *

The following evening after dinner, the Gryffindor sixth and seventh years wandered towards the large empty classroom that had been reserved for their duelling lessons. Alice had a surprise in store for her, because when the door opened, who else was there but Sirius?

"Dad!" Alice flung herself at him, and Sirius caught her in shock. He'd been expecting sulking and cross Marlene-like glares, not a hug.

"Hey," Sirius said, sounding winded. "What's the matter? We got a letter from McGonagall about you."

"I missed you," she mumbled into his shoulder.

She let go for long enough for Harry to hug his godfather, her eyes on him anxiously. He looked a little thinner, a little more tired than usual, and his hair needed a good cut.

"Sit," Sirius ordered her, before she could say anything else, and she obliged, folding her arms and giving him the glare he expected. He let out a bark of laughter before turning to Remus.

"Welcome," Remus said to the group of them warmly. "As you know, Professor Dumbledore asked me to start this duelling club, but I thought we could go a little further than that. My friends possess certain skills from our experiences in battles and I thought Sirius here would be the best person to teach the skill we're starting with, as he was the first to master it out of my group of friends." Remus smiled fondly at him, and Sirius moved forward.

_Oh God_, Alice thought to herself.

Instead of introducing himself, Sirius leaped straight into it. Literally.

He jumped forward and morphed into a large shaggy black dog. He barked once, chased his tail and then morphed back into himself. He took a silly bow as the group applauded him.

"Being an animagus isn't for everyone, so don't worry if you don't want to become one or can't get the hang of it. It's difficult magic but if you're successful, it can be used for a disguise or even to gain the upper hand in a battle. The Death Eaters won't be expecting a giant dog to run around and bite them, and they won't be prepared for it."

"Ignore the books on the subject, they're written by transfiguration experts, _not _animagi. I want you all to grab a cushion," he waved his wand and twenty or so cushions appeared with a pop, "and sit down and relax. Let you mind wander."

There was a scrabble for a moment but eventually, each student claimed a cushion and sat down on it.

"Close your eyes," Sirius told them. "Breathe in, count to four and breathe out again. Become aware of your body. Feel the magic that you have running through your veins. I know Remus taught you how to cast a patronus during your OWL year, so picture that animal to begin with. Imagine yourself becoming that animal."

Neville opened his eyes and raised a hand. "My patronus isn't corporeal," he admitted in a small voice.

"No matter," Sirius said. "Imagine an animal you identify with, perhaps a pet you once had, or an animal you feel connected to."

Alice had never remotely felt connected to any sort of animal in her life. She cast her mind around, before it landed on a tiger. A large, beautiful white tiger with enormous fangs that protruded when she growled.

A shriek interrupted her thoughts. Everyone opened their eyes, startled, and looked around.

It was Hermione who'd screamed, because the cushion next to her that had once occupied Ginny now occupied a small red fox.

The fox sniffed the air, before trotting over to Harry and pawing at him. He looked into the fox's eyes, which were exact copies of Ginny's brown ones, before looking at Sirius. "I think she's stuck."

"No problem," Sirius said cheerfully. "Ginny, bark once if you can understand me."

She gave a small yap, her head snapping towards his direction and her ears pointing upwards.

"Sit down, and try to concentrate on your human self. I know it's new and confusing, and you feel like you keep getting distracted, but try as hard as you can."

She did as she was told, and after a few minutes, managed to transform back.

"That was weird," she said breathlessly, as the rest of the class applauded her.

"Shouldn't she register with the Ministry?" Was the first question Hermione asked.

Sirius shook his head. "I'm not registered. Besides, what if Voldemort manages to infiltrate the Ministry? He'd get the information and could plan around it."

"Um," Neville began timidly. "Transfiguration's never been my strong point, but I think I'm malting."

He was. Bright yellow feathers kept sprouting all over him and dropping off. There were small piles of them surrounding his cushion.

Remus whipped out his wand and muttered "_finite incantatum_", and the feathers stopped appearing. "That can happen. The important thing is not to panic. You've almost got it. The experience is different for everyone."

"What about you sir?" Dean Thomas asked. "What's your animagus form?"

Remus fidgeted uncomfortably. "I never got the hang of it," he said evasively, although Harry and Alice both knew full well why he wasn't an animagus.

The lesson carried on with a few mishaps. Hermione sprouted cat whiskers and ears, which struck Harry and Ron as very funny, as they remembered back to their second year when Hermione turned into a cat from the Polyjuice Potion that they'd brewed to sneak into the Slytherin common room. Neville managed to procure a beak in place of his nose, and Ginny ran around the room as a fox, getting used to her new form.

Suddenly, Alice felt as though she was shrinking. She opened her eyes, and everything was much sharper than it used to be. She looked around, and saw the shocked stares of her fellow students.

"What?" she attempted to say, thinking that something was wrong with her hair, but all that came out of her mouth was a growl.

"She's a lion!" Hermione gasped, although her voice sounded different in these ears. It was higher pitched, and much more irritating.

"Of course she'd be a cat," Sirius muttered to Remus so that no one else could hear, but Alice could, and judging from Ginny's sharp yap, she could too. Alice spotted something shiny in the corner of the room, just past her father, and trotted over to investigate, Ginny following close behind.

It was a mirror. Alice could see what she looked like. Her fur had a wave to it, much like her own mane of hair. Of course, as a lioness, she had no mane. Her fur was as golden as her hair, and her eyes the same shade of grey. She noticed that Ginny's fox fur was exactly the same shade of red as her hair too, and when she thought about it, Sirius' dog fur and human hair were also the same.

A roar sounded from behind them, and it sounded pleasing to Alice's lion ears. She whirled around, and came face to face with something she instinctively recognised as Harry. His fur was as pale as his skin was, but his glorious mane was the same shade of jet black as his hair. It was an odd combination, but it suited him. His eyes, of course, were exactly the same shade of green.

A shadow flickered in the corner of Alice's eyes, and she turned to it. It seemed to be a person blooming out of nowhere, but she had the feeling that only the three of them could see it. He was a man, wearing simple robes but he held an impressive authority. Alice guessed that he had once been a teacher.

He seemed to completely ignore Ginny, and spoke directly to the two lions. "Two heirs from each house, who show themselves in their true forms as the lions of Gryffindor. Be brave, my lions, and combined with the other house heirs, you shall defeat the threat facing this school."

He dissolved into nothing.

"What are they looking at?" Hermione asked Sirius, worried.

Ginny, having got the hang of transforming better than Alice or Harry, switched back and explained what had happened to the group.


End file.
